Contributed by: InaGreendaseBrian(others by this writer | submit your own)Published on June 5th 2009Like recently reviewed buds Calculator., Touché Amoré play a weird role in screamo revival. Certain moments on their debut 7" certainly bear resemblance to their oft-cited influences like pg. 99 and Orchid, yet their structure largely remains closer to equally dark, more straightforward-yet-forwar.

Like recently reviewed buds Calculator., Touché Amoré play a weird role in screamo revival. Certain moments on their debut 7" certainly bear resemblance to their oft-cited influences like pg. 99 and Orchid, yet their structure largely remains closer to equally dark, more straightforward-yet-forward-thinking hardcore acts like Modern Life Is War and Spanish Bombs.

That's due to the fact that this 7" never really contains any clear moments of overwhelming spazziness or intensity, but in no way do those voids detract from it. This is a very fresh hardcore sound, full of a searingly intense vocal front and careful, clever changes in tempo and direction. It's the sort of sound that espouses all shades of gray while remaining compelling and dynamic.

It's also littered with issues that appear very near and dear to the members' hearts, like the self-explanatory "WeHateFredPhelps.com" and digital bonus "Hipsterectomy," the latter of which seems to be a call-to-arms for originality levied towards the L.A. hipster scene.

They've already got their first full-length on the way, with some serious cameos in the mix (Jeff Eaton, Geoff Rickly). This was a great start, but I'm ready to be floored by what's next.

Hey Brian, can you by any chance point me in the direction of a few older bands of this sort (Castevet, Calculator, My Heart to Joy, Joie de Vivre, etc) that I'm digging?

I would have trouble doing that as all these bands sound extremely different to me. And I would thus describe them all rather differently.

With Castevet it's basically billowy American Football fare peppered into gruff SBB-esque tempaltes; Calculator. is raw, yelly screamo-influenced post-hardcore; and Joie de Vivre is close to straight-up Mineral worship.

Don't think I've heard this band before... sounds alright, but I much prefer Calculator.

Hey Brian, can you by any chance point me in the direction of a few older bands of this sort (Castevet, Calculator, My Heart to Joy, Joie de Vivre, etc) that I'm digging? I've found Shots Fired, Apart From the Projector and some others, but I know there's probably dozens of hidden gems out there. Since they'd all have broken up, I won't be able to find them without someone's help, and that drives me crazy. :P